MERAPI IS NOT FRIENDLY ANYMORE

I just did nothing and tend to be silent when heard that Mount Merapi was really getting raged. Friday November 5th 2010 early morning hours in Turkey or at 5 am Western Indonesian Time, I got message from my wife who is still at 13rd KM in Jalan Kaliurang Yogyakarta that our house could not be inhabited anymore, volcanic mud was everywhere in the yard and street, the air was filled with dust and the very smell of sulfur, visibility was almost zero. My wife and children have to, be willing or not, just to be refugee joint with others displaced down to a safer place. Unfortunately, I could only support them from afar.

This disaster is truly beyond our expectations. Mount Merapi, which used to be very friendly and part of our life, now seemed to turn into a hideous monster. Hundreds of deaths and thousands of others suffered, thousands of dead animals, thousands of hectares of dry crops now are easily found in our region just like deserted region. The mount itself seems as not more of a part of our lives, but turned hostile and attack us openly. We don’t know what sin we have and what mistakes we did, the nature obviously started no longer friendly to us now.

Behind this disaster, we still have to be grateful; still remain in the protection of Almighty God than those who were unfortunately cannot be saved anymore from the disaster. In a situation like this we really can see clearly who the angels are, the voluntary helper. Hundreds of volunteers, both civilian and military were risking their own life to help the victims whether alive or dead who was blasted by hot clouds trim of Merapi. Yes ... it should be, we should helping each other, regardless any command and request from the authority. This nation large population would have to solve any kind of problem if we can help each other, holding hands with sincerity. It is time to lose our frills fanaticism to certain organization, politics and even religion for the sake of humanity that might have been estranged from our conscience. Not doing so, it seems could not to be denied that the nature starts to be unfriendly to us.